THR right hip replacement problems

Epicterv

new member
Joined
Feb 28, 2023
Messages
7
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68
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I had both hips needing replacement. Corroded at level 4, both hips.
I did the right one on May 10th 2022. I'm very unhappy with the job done on my leg and I am at a loss on what to do.

My right leg is now longer to where people actually tell me I'm limping. I wear a lift in my left shoe. Still is uneven.
I have degenerative disk disease in my back and the length difference is causing a lot of pain. I'm dealing with the best i can.
It also pinches on the side of my leg and the metal area is concaving in with my
regular leg obviously showing outward.

The storms just kill me. My foot gets very cold. If i pivot my balance is off. My left hip is worse than the right but had a bad pinched nerve so they did that one first.

My surgeon doesn't believe in PT. He said your leg will adjust as you live and walk on it.
He was right on my leg getting better post op, but im down the road now and I know its not going to get any better. I'm afraid to walk to much as my left hip ball has popped out already once. I am so afraid to have the left one done now. I'm afraid I'm going to be in a wheelchair after another one.

Also the surgeon did not believe in pain control. First time I ever woke from surgery screaming. Post op was wheeling in with people screaming. About 2 nurses for 15-20 people. We were offered 2 Tylenols.
Besides that my roommate refused to leave the hospital as her knees did not line up it was so obvious one leg was longer, I was planning to hire an ambulance to get me out of there, I laid in a bed soaked full of urine all night. This is my experience with hip replacement. I just don't know where to start in exercising or living as I'm just afraid of what the left, undone hip will do.
I used to walk 3 hours a day. I had Belgian Shepherds, trained and competed. I had to let what i loved go as i need to be able to move fast with these high energy dogs. I don't walk at all anymore still because I'm afraid my left hip will collapse. I don't even know what doctor I should go to for help.

Any ideas? I curse all the dr and nurses who said you walk the halls right after hip surgery.
 
I’m sure the moderators will have some really good advice here. I too had a difficult post op for right hip but I have been fully ambulatory despite an ongoing leg length differential that never evened out. I limp yet am active ( I’ve paid out of pocket for better care.) But I am wondering if you can obtain an advocate , let’s say. Department of Aging or even a local advocate to help you decide your next move. These can be very rough days in the health field depending where you live. But frankly my PT has helped me both emotionally and physically. Of course there is “PT overdoing it” versus great PTs out there. I have the latter.
 
@Epicterv Welcome to BoneSmart! :welome: I am so sorry you have had such an awful experience with your first hip replacement and would encourage you to seek a different surgeon for the 2nd one and an opinion on what, if anything, could be done about the first. This alone "Also the surgeon did not believe in pain control" would have me racing to a different surgeon!! Ye Gads! Hip replacement is major surgery and (as one of the founders here said years ago) involves about 50% surgery and 50% carpentry so of course there is going to be major pain afterwards!

Alas leg length differential problems do occur when hips are done at different times. Some times PT can help with that. Or getting the other hip replaced. Or using a lift in the other shoe to even things out. While many new hips don't need PT, others do need it .... especially if one has been limping on dysfunctional hips for quite a while. PT is not about the hip(s) per se, it is about helping the muscles around the hip(s) regain normal functioning. And to me (not a nurse or a doctor .... just been there, done that) it sounds like you could benefit from some expert PT.
 
I am speechless and can only say how sorry I am for your experience. No one deserves to be treated that way.
This is a good example of something else to ask about when searching for a surgeon, how do they handle pain control?
My first suggestion is to speak with your Primary Care Dr. Do you think it would be possible that they could offer you some solutions? Maybe a new surgeon, too? for your other hip.
Then, you have struggled with some very painful days/weeks, maybe months. Your soft tissues must be so tensed up. Would you consider finding a good licensed massage therapist to help you with everything involved in regards to the pain you have suffered with?

You deserve good care, quality care. ((hugs))
 
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I am beyond speechless that your hospital experience was that bad. I’m so sorry. I will address your leg length difference. I had that after my first hip replacement. My surgeon was hopeful that I’d “settle” but I never did. I had lifts put on the shoes of my shorter leg. It made all the difference for me. Four years after my first hip, I had the other replaced and they made me even. I stood up after surgery and said, excuse my french,:holysheep:. The nurse thought something was wrong but I told her why I was happy.

Please go to a different surgeon for future orthopedic needs.

Marie
 
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Many years ago I had a bad hospital experience, sad that it still goes on.
I would be looking for another OS and be sure to make your experience and problems clear to them. If you search there is a list of surgeons and the moderators might have some recommendations for your area. I traveled to the big city for mine as I wanted a good experience.
 
@Epicterv Sounds like you need to find yourself another surgeon. Can you tell us who was your surgeon and which hospital did you have your surgery in? We may be able to recommend someone not connected to your former surgeon.
 
Wow, that's crazy, never go back there and start looking for an advocate for yourself.
Who is your insurer? Do you have Medicare? If so report these incidents to them.
Do you have a primary doctor that you can talk with?
 
Thank you all for your time and opinions and advice.

I truly have cried most every day over this barbaric surgery. You make me feel less alone in this. Yes, surgeon did not believe in pain meds at all. I had a pain management doctor, thank God, whom helped so much after I got out of that hospital and away from that surgical nightmare. I couldn't have done anything without some pain help. The scream is like a wounded animal,I thought, as i listened to another man brought in, then realized its me too.
The surgeon refused to talk to the pain management doctors at all. 4 times.

Very highly thought of Drs in their field of helping post op. There was no Dr. on duty to help until 9 am the following day. Every time I called the nurses for help, they put a sedative called lorazepam in my IV before i could even talk to them and get help laying in urine. 4 times during the night.

My back was so locked up i couldn't move. In so much pain, they offered stool softeners. Seriously? I cant drag the IV connected to the wall to the bathroom... what were they expecting? I just said no, no,no.

I finally got help at 9 am from a hospitalist. Dr. Surgeon was in the room not paying any attention to me because my roommate was upset as her knees didn't line up at all.

My bed, gown, body, hair was soaked by 9 am the following day. I knew I couldn't shower for 5-7 days following surgery. I worried about the incision becoming infected also. These strange big men came in and said you are going to live in a hip rehab center. Insurance fraud...use it up. I said no. I'm going home. Now.

I don't think i will ever get the left hip done. I just can't go through this again. And no, I would never go back to this surgeon, not even for a year check up. I'm still traumatized i think.

Right now i do very little and am just afraid of the left ball and socket popping out again. I'll try some more PT.... maybe they will be able to do some help without hurting the left hip..
I cry most days as i slowly realize this is the best my right leg will be. My heart thanks each of you for your experienced wisdom and caring thoughts. I'll stay in touch.
 
I have Medicare. I was referred to Banner Medical by another OS whom had retired from doing surgeries. He referred this surgeon. Hospital and offices in Glendale, Arizona. A suburb of Phoenix. I will look for a moderator. All great advice, i can't put so much time into this chronic leg problem. I'm afraid I'm just going to go on with my life as is.
 
I’m so sorry for your experience. My heart breaks reading this. Do you have a friend or family member who can help give you strength and encouragement to find a new surgeon to help you get on a new and better path? It’s hard to face these battles alone. You were treated terribly and frankly, I would be letting the medical community know about this place. It sounds like you really need to do the other hip to get balanced and whole again. Best wishes for you❤️
 
Like everyone else, I am so sorry to hear about the awful experience you had. As we all know, so much of our recovery depends on staying positive. As a result of your post surgery experiences it really must be hard for you to do that--with the trauma of the surgery, the pain, AND your current worries, you must be having a very hard time seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I had a similar "nightmare" at a hospital ER 14 years ago as a result of a drug reaction I had when I had gotten home from back surgery. I will never forget that experience and the horrific treatment I received, and would never return to that hospital, despite the fact that it is the closest one to me. If possible, I think getting a second opinion on your hip and concerns about your leg would be a great next step. Also the idea about some gentle massage. If it were me, I'd want a 2nd opinion before I resumed therapy just to be sure that I didn't irritate anything with the exercise. Another thought would be to basically stop everything and try to reset and let your body and mind try to recover from the trauma-- Rest a lot, ice, and manage current pain with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. I truly believe that this is not the best your hip will ever be, so try to focus on next steps---don't give up! ❤️
 
Thank you all so much. I do need support as I just don't know where to start. My family doesn't understand as no-one ever has had surgery let alone major surgery. They are concerned, but are busy with their own life.

I will never ever go to this hospital or orthopedic group ever again. They couldn't even do blood tests without finally telling them to stop, they hurt me so bad. They had 1 lady who knew what she was doing.

I live in Phoenix, Az in Glendale suburb. This was all Banner organization. The hospital they own is Bayless hospital They are buying up so many medical practices. I'm going across city to find a different surgeon. And because so many people retire here, it takes 6-9 months to get an appointment with an ortho surgeon. I thank God for my pain management group.

They have been supportive so very much. They called my surgery barbaric. I just read that this major surgery can have you get so down. Because of the loss of your hip. I did and do cry once a day. Training and competing with the dogs I love is gone.

I have to start all over with forming a life around my metal hip and a corroded other hip. For 3 years I told every Dr I saw about how my legs hurt. Never would even order xrays. Walking one day my hips fell out of the sockets. Finally was taken seriously.
Now I wish i never had surgery. But, thank you all for just responding to me. It helps so much.
 
@Epicterv , please keep us posted. We care. Personally, I want nothing more than to read a post from you saying that you and your dogs are back to competing! Might your doctors at the pain management clinic refer you to an OS they've come to trust? If not, might they recommend a medical advocate who specializes in surgical malpractice?
 
@Epicterv .... first let me say how profoundly sorry I am for the treatment you have received. It is definitely NOT the norm and you must try to regain some hope that things will be better. We can help guide you to surgeons who are more professional and caring than those you've been exposed to.

I was so pleased to learn that you are near Phoenix because I personally know an excellent surgeon there....Dr. Jimmy Chow. I suggest you contact his office immediately and make an appointment for a consultation. Please do not be afraid. No matter what problems you are having with your operated hip, Dr. Chow should be able to offer you some options to make things better. Be honest with his about your experience so that he will understand your fears and concerns. Be sure and tell him you are working with BoneSmart. He knows us and our CEO, Mark Sacaris, very well.

When a person has a horrific experience with a doctor or hospital like you've had, it is actually possible to develop Post Trauatic Stress Disorder. Hopefully your fears and worries will be helped by meeting with a surgeon who can offer you compassion and hope.

You really must not ignore what has happened, your current pain, nor your other bad hip. You mention that your hips have "popped out" at some point, which is an indicator that both need attention. If you try to delay your other bad hip, it is possible that it can break through the socket at some point, which is something I don't want to see happen to you. Please don't hesitate to meet with Dr. Chow as soon as he can see you. Here is his information:

Phoenix
Dr. Jimmy Chow
Chow Surgical, LLC
3700 N 24th Street
Suite 160
Phoenix, AZ 85016
480-490-6561

I'll be watching this thread, so please let me know how things go. Also....be sure and ask any questions you may have. We're here for you. You have an entire BoneSmart community that will be right there with you through whatever challenges may come next. You can do this. Sending big ((((HUGS)))).
 
I'm also going to tag another BoneSmartie, @Cjackso21, to see if she can come talk with you about her experience with Dr. Chow. She had been through a terrible time with her knee and had seen multiple surgeons who didn't help at all. She like Dr. Chow and he was able to help her.

I'm also tagging a different BoneSmartie, @danelady, to come chat with you. She lives in Tucson and has had a terrible time with hip dislocations and also poor hospital care. I recommended Dr. Chow to her as well and she may be considering seeing him soon.
 
Thank you all for the support, truly. My sister thinks I'm hard on the Drs and told me i flipped them off going out of hospital. If i did then, awesome, stand up girl.

My sister has never had surgery or anyone in my home, so they thought i was exaggerating and kept the crying to my room. The stress of acting "normal" around other people was very draining. For some reason they think , well the staples are out, she's good to go.

I broke my right humous bone just below the shoulder the night they closed down the state for covid. Not an ortho around taking new clients and the hospital was not set up yet to seperate covid from not covid. I had to just wear a sling and rely on pain management then too. It took a year to heal.
Bones are a rough thing to deal with, anything you get done to them.

Thank you for the referral to an ortho surgeon. I have it written down, but cant dial the number yet.
I did start gardening, building a flower garden. slowly, but creating something that grows. Just planted tulips and calle lilys. I just cant make decisions yet, or be the independent person I'm suppose to be. Or was, My male belgain tervuren was a protection trained dog I loved to the moon and back. He slept by my front door every night. He could read a room and i knew in seconds what the dynamics were and who i would want to converse with. otherwise who was lying and who was okay. After my arm break he developed lg cell carcinoma and i lost him within 5 months. He was going to be 7. Too young. Ive been afraid since then. Did not realize how much safety he brought me. As a service dog i could have brought him to my appts.

I don't know if i can ever agree to another surgery, just cannot make any decisions at this time. You would think with me needing a second surgery the team at Banner and the surgeon would want the business and at least be nice to me. My general practice dr is at banner. His assistant there was not a wise person, but he was nice. Banner has bought out so many practices including urgent cares. Medicare can now be Banner Medicare.

They try and sign you up coming in the front door. I needed to hear of another ortho not associated with Banner. Thank you and all my new friends on this forum for caring. Ill keep posting as when i get better courage and am able to call the Dr,
 
Hang in there….sending you mega ((((HUGS)))). You’ve been through a lot these last couple of years and, even though you may not feel it at the moment, you have proven your inner strength by getting to this point. You’ll see the way forward when things kind of settle down. And we’ll be here to continue supporting you. Don’t hesitate to post when you need people to talk with that understand what you’re going through.
 
I did make an appointment with Dr. Chow. I really was impressed with his web site and a totally different way of doing hip replacements. Instead of a 12 inch cut, his are only 4-5 inches. He moves the muscles and tendons out of the way and cut through them very little which causes less trauma on the patient. And less bleeding. Im told they then can make your legs even. He does work with some robotics i think. Recovery is half the time as the one i had done already. I'm going to have questions answered. A totally different hospital. If any surgeon ever lets me wake up screaming i will sue. I will tell him about laying in a urine soaked bed from recovery to the following day. I do know his staff has already been much nicer than at banner. I asked the receptionist if i could be trueful to him and she said yes yes yes, we want you to. Huge thanks for recommending him to me!! I'm only going to find answers to my questions and to see if we get along. Some surgeons are nice and some are not. Many thanks to the administrator for recommending him to me. !!! I like what i see already. Keep you posted. My recovery took a year as i couldn't walk on my left leg because it already fell out of the socket once. So the right one which is the surgery one took longer for me. i will tell you, dont push anything, it heals on its own time. My brother in laws cousin went on a cruise about 6-8 weeks post op. If that, She ended up with an infection that required 3 more surgery's. taking metal out . putting cement in. then replacing the hip replacement. If you dont take care of you things will go there own way. Its depressing staying at home all the time, but its a small price to pay to avoid 3 other surgery's. Keep it simple and listen to your body.
 

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